Leading with Hope: A Strategic Imperative for Our Time

By Kathy Pike, PhD, One Mind CEO

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I can hardly believe we’ve reached the midpoint of 2025. Lately, I’ve found myself on a quiet mission: repairing a few cherished watches I’ve been given over the years. Maybe it’s my way of trying to hold time still or at least keep track of it, as it seems to be slipping by faster and faster!

For a while now, I have been telling myself things will slow down – tomorrow, next week, next month, next quarter. But that pause never seems to come. And I know I’m not alone.

Across the globe, people are navigating the same paradox: more to do, fewer resources, and less time to do it. The term “time poverty” has emerged to describe this widespread sense that there’s never quite enough time to keep up. It’s becoming a hallmark of modern life—and with it, a deepening fatigue that’s hard to shake.

Even amid the pressure, there are real opportunities to reset and create some breathing space in our daily lives so that we can protect our mental health and move forward with greater clarity and purpose fueled by positive energy and hopefulness.

Here are two ways we’re doing just that at One Mind:

1. The Inaugural International Day of Hope – July 12

This year, the United Nations officially declared July 12 as the first-ever International Day of Hope. This landmark moment was championed by our collaborator Kathryn Goetzke, founder of Shine Hope, who worked with UN ambassadors to recognize hope as a public health and leadership imperative. Hope helps us manage stress, sustain motivation, and support one another through adversity.

>>> Learn more about the Day of Hope and our collaboration with Shine Hope

2. Building Best Practices Webinar – July 22 at 11:00 AM ET

Join us for a free webinar exploring how work can either drain us or support us. We’ll take a closer look at the psychological and organizational impact of time-related stress and share actionable strategies to improve mental health through better work design to create environments where people can thrive.

>>> Register Here

All of us at One Mind will be offline for the rest of the week. Indeed, vacation is another way to take care of our mental health. For many years, I wrote a blog, Five on Friday: Musing on Mental Health. Here is a July 4th post that reflects on the value of rest and play and holidays. I hope it will inspire you to put some vacation days on your calendar as well!

Here’s to cultivating the skills of hope and taking care of our mental health so that we can all meet the demands of our busy lives with strength, creativity, and compassion.

Best,

Kathleen M. Pike, PhD
Chief Executive Officer, One Mind